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Giving your toddler the opportunity to
make
believe has a multitude of benefits. This activity helps toddlers to
work together with other children, be creative, gain self confidence and
also work through anything that might be troubling them.
Helping Toddlers Learn Through
Make-Believe
Kayleen is serving tea and muffins to Oscar
the Grouch while sporting a faded felt snowman hat. Not too far away, C.J.
is holding a baby doll and gently taking her temperature with a big plastic
thermometer. What do these two year olds have in common? They’re both
engaging in the time-less activity of ‘make-believe’ play.
Through make-believe, young children learn about themselves and the world
around them. Little babies playing pat-a-cake are making believe. Depending
on the age of the child, their role playing games will vary. Imaginative
children don’t need fancy toys or equipment to pretend; they’re happy with a
box and a toilet tissue roll. |
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When they engage in pretend play with a
variety of objects, they’re learning life skills that will help them as
adults.
We’ve all watched little kids playing dress-up or ‘house.’
Children can create an imaginary world anywhere – when molding clay animals,
when helping mom or dad match-up socks (sock puppets are the best after
all.) If they’re this creative with just a sock, then think what they can do
with special make-believe props.
Often parents feel that their children require expensive furniture and
household equipment for pretend play. Remember the little boy with the
refrigerator box in his back yard when you were a kid? Everyone showed up to
help build limitless structures and the play would go on for hours, or until
the box fell apart. Oh well, the hours spent cooperating together and using
colorful imaginations were worth far more than any expensive jungle gym or
playhouse.
What spurs the imagination of a toddler or preschool age child? What type of
‘props’ should parents provide to encourage make-believe even further than
what kids will do naturally? Here are just a few ideas:
Dress-Up – hats, jewelry, scarves, shoes, dresses and shirts, purses or
backpacks
Kitchen – lots of plastic bowls with lids, kid size broom/mop/dustpan,
towels, spoons, measuring cups, pots and pans with lids
Family – blankets, pillow, both male and female baby dolls, old or toy cell
phones, boxes of various sizes for baby beds
House – kid size table, cardboard boxes to serve as appliances, furniture or
TV, full-length mirror
Playing make-believe encourages little children to play together, and is
perfect for play groups and for helping shy children overcome anxiety.
Little children have boundless ideas for creative play, but love it when
parents or caregivers take part in the activity. Many times, imaginative
play can help parents realize that their child is fearful or worried about
something in particular. Helping them talk about their fears through
make-believe will often lessen the child’s stress and bring you closer to
your child.
Encourage your child’s imagination through make-believe with simple and
inexpensive toys and props. Your refrigerator box may fall apart, but the
fun of building it will last forever.
About the Author: Sherry Frewerd is a Family Child Care Provider and
publishes ‘Family Play and Learn’ a play and learning resource for Toddler
and Preschool Learning Activities
familyplayandlearn.com
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